Trends and Patterns of Chickpea Consumption among United States Adults: Analyses of National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey Data.

BACKGROUND: Chickpeas are an affordable and nutrient-dense legume, but there is limited United States data on consumption patterns and the relationship between chickpea consumption and dietary intakes. OBJECTIVES: This study examined trends and sociodemographic patterns among chickpea consumers and the relationship between chickpea consumption and dietary intake. METHODS: Adults consuming chickpeas or chickpea-containing foods on 1 or both of the 24-h dietary recalls were categorized as chickpea consumers. Data from NHANES 2003-2018 were used to evaluate trends and sociodemographic patterns in chickpea consumption (n = 35,029). The association between chickpea consumption and dietary intakes was compared to other legume consumers and nonlegume consumers from 2015-2018 (n = 8,342). RESULTS: The proportion of chickpea consumers increased from 1.9% in 2003-2006 to 4.5% in 2015-2018 (P value for trend < 0.001). This trend was consistent across age group, sex, race/ethnicity, education, and income. In 2015-2018, chickpea consumption was highest among individuals with higher incomes (2.4% among those with incomes <185% of the federal poverty guideline compared with 6.4% with incomes ≥300%), education levels (1.0% for less than high school compared with 10.2% for college graduates), physical activity levels (1.9% for no physical activity compared with 7.7% for ≥430 min of moderate-equivalent physical activity per week), and those with better self-reported health (1.7% fair/poor compared with 6.5% for excellent/very good, P-trend < 0.001 for each). Chickpea consumers had greater intakes of whole grains (1.48 oz/d for chickpea consumers compared with 0.91 for nonlegume consumers) and nuts/seeds (1.47 compared with 0.72 oz/d), less intake of red meat (0.96 compared with 1.55 oz/d), and higher Healthy Eating Index scores (62.1 compared with 51.2) compared with both nonlegume and other legume consumers (P value < 0.05 for each). CONCLUSIONS: Chickpea consumption among United States adults has doubled between 2003 and 2018, yet intake remains low. Chickpea consumers have higher socioeconomic status and better health status, and their overall diets are more consistent with a healthy dietary pattern.

Impact of an Intuitive Eating Intervention on Disordered Eating Risk Factors in Female-Identifying Undergraduates: A Randomized Waitlist-Controlled Trial.

Dietary restraint and low body appreciation are common among female-identifying undergraduates and are related to the development of disordered eating, which female-identifying undergraduates engage in throughout college. Training students in intuitive eating, an approach that promotes eating by internal cues, may be a way to ameliorate dietary restraint and low body appreciation, ultimately decreasing disordered eating. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of a five-week intuitive eating intervention on dietary restraint, body appreciation, and intuitive eating in female-identifying undergraduates. A five-week intuitive eating intervention (NCT0394700) was facilitated by two Registered Dietitians. One treatment group (TG) (n = 7) and one waitlist control group (WLCG) (n = 7) participated in the trial. From baseline to post-intervention, there was a significant decrease in dietary restraint, t(12) = -2.88, p = 0.01, and a significant increase in intuitive eating, t(12) = 4.03, p = 0.002, in the TG compared to the WLCG. The intervention had replicable effects on all outcome variables. Measurements at the five-week follow-up suggested the impact was sustained. This study provides preliminary data suggesting an intuitive eating intervention may help improve disordered eating risk factors by decreasing dietary restraint and increasing intuitive eating in female-identifying undergraduates.